Good evening all,
I roam mostly on the toy train side of rails but I have some questions and I figured this was the place to start. I have a very small HO layout (4x6) which will not be expanded. I currently run a Walthers diesel switcher which is more than adequate, but lacks sound. I am looking at Broadway Limited switcher of the same type and I am wondering if it is capable of navigating 15 " curves ( the ad material implies 18"). I can fit 18" curves on the layout but it runs close to the edge. Second question concerns MRC Tech 6 power supplies. If I use them in DC mode with said BLI equipment, what (if any) sounds will I be able to obtain? I can imagine most of you rolling your eyes at these questions and I do not blame you, but any thoughts, opinions and suggestions would be appreciated. I have explored upgrading the existing engine to sound, but I could get one ready to run for about the same amount of money. Thank you in advance for whatever attention you can render. I hope everyone has a good day.
Keep on training,
Mike C. from Indiana
I don't know which locomotive you're looking at, and can't vouch for the veracity of what is stated in this forum thread, but here ya go:
BLI Switcher Potential Problem | Zealot
Hey, Mike, welcome to the dark side - - the MR forum. You are always welcome here and no question is a dumb question.
You don't mention the type of switcher or roadname that you are interested in, but I am going to suggest that you look into Bowser switchers if you haven't already purchased a Broadway Limited switcher.
Bower makes an "Executive Line" of switchers in a host of roadnames and types. If you have the MRC Tech 6 Sound Controller 2.0 Power Pack, this will allow you to run a Bowser switcher in DC mode since the Bowser Executive Line is equipped with a LokSound Select Dual Mode decoder which is ideal for both DCC and DC operation. For sure, it will sound the bell, horn and prime mover in DC.
I cannot say for sure how well any HO scale switcher can negotiate 15" radius curves, but maybe someone can reply to this thread with an answer based upon personal experience.
Rich
Alton Junction
Hi Mike, welcome!
If I'm remembering correctly, I ran a Broadway Limited Mikado that was part of their 2007-09 Blueline, which had sound and was DC/DCC ready. When only on DC, the sound I could get was the chuff and automatic idle sounds. I imagine that with a diesel it would be the same. BLI made a special controller that allowed you to activate sounds In DC called the DCMaster, I had one for a while and it worked well but have since switched to DCC.
Good luck! I'm not sure about the min radius but surely someone knows.
The Backshops - A blog dedicated to modeling projects
Not sure which switcher model you're currently using or looking at, but my BLI NW-2s will take a 15" radius curve.
For DCC/sound engines, you will get the 'automatic' sounds like diesel rumble, break squeal etc. but won't be able to blow the horn or ring the bell. BLI does make a "control module" that you can hook up between your DC power pack and the track which will allow you to blow the horn, ring the bell, and adjust some settings.
https://www.broadway-limited.com/bli-1011dcmasteranalogcontrolmodule.aspx
However, getting some type of basic DCC system might be a better option in the long run. You can get one for about the price of an engine with factory DCC/sound. Changing your Walthers engine to DCC is probably as simple as taking the body off the chassis, removing a dummy plug, and plugging a DCC decoder into the receptacle. You don't have to do a sound decoder, you can use a regular motion-and-light decoder ($20-30) to try out and learn about DCC with. You can always change it out for a sound decoder later if you wish.
Do you have insulated frogs? That might be the problem. Certain BLI locos will stall when passing through insulated frogs. Both my SW7 switchers occasionally do that as does my K-4 Pacific. I thought Keep Alives would solve the problem but I can't figure out where to wire them up and can't find a straight forward answer either. I posed the question in a thread several years ago and nobody could tell me with any specificity which wires I needed to splice into. I'm not the most astute person when it comes to electronics and the answers I was getting made me even more confused. Rather than risk frying a perfectly good sound decoder, I am just living with the stalls.
Thank you all for taking the time to respond. There is a lot of information to absorb and ponder. I dabbled for many years on the scale side but was never any good at trackwork until Bachmann's EZ track came along. I know it is not as realistic as other brands and does not approach handlaid track, but the trains run smoothly and that is my primary focus. I will keep you posted as events unfold, but it will take awhile. Thank you again for your time and advice. I hope everyone has a good day.